Leitmotiv: Forgotten women in Portuguese contemporary history I

Abstract

Paula Ferreira was the first woman to own a comic book shop in Lisbon: O Mundo da Banda Desenhada [The World of Comics] in the late 1970s. Having lived through the Salazar dictatorship and the post-Salazar dictatorship period, Paula is a reference in terms of cultures of resistance in Portugal. In a society divided between cosmopolitanism and provincialism, women were still relegated to a secondary role in relation to men. Paula contested these positions and also revealed herself to be the epitome of resistance and contestation, especially because she did not give in to the normative and hegemonic aesthetics in force. She remained faithful to her authenticity. This authenticity paved the way for her subcultural female participation, gradually. Thus, based on her narrative and documents - among which we highlight her fanzine Leimotiv - Using a qualitative methodology, we approach the different facets of Paula's insurgent resistance through (i) the opening of a comic shop and the path she traced between Portugal, London and the world; (ii) her pivotal role in boosting an alternative punk scene linked to independent publications, music, fashion, film, photography and nightlife; (iii) her pioneering role in artistic fields such as design and fanzines, with a content analysis of her fanzine, Leitmotiv, being the main focus.